1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a massaging device for performing massage of a human body by performing expansion and shrinking of air bags.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A massaging device for performing massage of legs or arms by performing expansion and shrinking of air bags is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 8-89540(1996). This device is arranged, as shown in FIG. 31, in that concaved grooved portions 91 for receiving portions of a human body to be massaged such as legs or arms are formed at a body 90, and in that air bags 92, 92 are respectively attached to inner surface on the right and left of the concaved groove portions 91 wherein the portions to be massaged located at the concave portions 91 are stimulated through pressurizing by making the air bags 92, 92 perform expansion and shrinking.
The concaved groove portions 91 that are formed in the body 90 made of rigid material are required to assume a large width in view of large individual differences in thickness of arms or legs of human bodies. Thus, in performing pressurizing stimulation of portions to be massaged such as arms or legs by performing expansion and shrinkage of the air bags 92, feelings of massage of a person having thick portions to be massaged and those of a person having thin portions to be massaged differ from each other. Further, it is difficult to provide a massage device that can be concurrently used for legs and for arms.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a massage device that can perform pressurizing stimulation In a favorable manner by performing expansion and shrinking of air bags irrespective of thickness of portions to be massaged.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a massage device with which a person can easily be massaged and with which high massaging effects can be achieved.
A massage device according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention is comprised of supporting bodies, strap bodies formed of pliable material and which both ends are respectively attached to the supporting body such that they assume U-shaped sections, air bags that are arranged at inner surface sides of the strap bodies for receiving portions of a human body to be massaged such as legs or arms, and an air supply means for making the air bags perform expansion and shrinking.
In such a massage device, in case portions to be massaged are located in the concaved groove portions that are formed by the strap bodies for of pliable material, the strap bodies are made to assume shapes that fit along shapes of the portions to be massaged to thus hold the portions to be massaged on the strap bodies. By performing expansion and shrinking of the air bags in this condition, pressurizing stimulation can be applied to the portions to be massaged irrespective of thickness of the portions to be massaged.
These and other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing.